Cabinet door latch



Sept. 13, 1938. s. .1. HENDERSON CABINET DOOR LATCH I Filed June 5, 1935Patented Sept. 13, 1938 PATENT OFFICE CABINET DOOR LATCH Samuel J.Henderson, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Electric Service SuppliesCompany, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania,

Application June 5, 1935, Serial No. 25,102

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to door equipped cabinets, lockers andthe like and more particularly to improvements in the design,construction and operation of the door locking mechanism.

Among the principal objects of the present invention is to provide adoor locking mechanism which is simple in construction, inexpensive tomanufacture, durable in use and which eliminates the necessity foremploying upon the door frame separately mounted keepers for engagingthe door latches to retain the door in closed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a door locking mechanismwherein one or more pivotally mounted door latches are employed forengagement behind the inwardly turned vertically extending flangeconstituting one edge of the door frame, this flange being an integralpart of the door-equipped locker.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a stampedmetal cabinet door in the free vertically extending edge of which isprovided one or more pivoted latches having means associated therewithfor effecting their movement into door-locking position, the said latchmoving means being adapted to be locked in such position as to preventthe unauthorized opening of the door.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a lockingmechanism for stamped metal cabinet and locker door which is so mountedupon the vertically extending free edge of the door as to occupy aminimum amount of space and which may be provided with as many commonlyactuated latches as is deemed necessary to adequately secure the door inlocked position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fullyhereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the combination, construction,location and relative arrangement of parts, all as shown in theaccompanying drawing, as described in the following specification, andas finally pointed out in the appended claims. In the said accompanying45 drawing, which is merely illustrative of the general principles ofthe present invention:

Figure l is a perspective view showing a stamped metal cabinet having adoor equipped with the locking mechanism constructed in accordance withand embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the inner surface of the door showinga portion thereof as 55 equipped with the door locking mechanism;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure2;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of a modified form of thelatch-equipped door taken on a line corresponding to the line 44 of Fiure 2;

Figure 6 is a partial longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 6-6of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a partial longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 1-1of Figure 5, and

Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the upper portion of the door showingthe detent mechanism.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to Figures 1 to 4thereof, it will be observed that the cabinet or locker ll] is of theusual construction wherein the door opening is defined by aperimetrically extending flange ll lying substantially in the plane ofthe main panel of the door I2 when the latter is in its closed position.The door 12 is also provided along its top, bottom and vertical sideedges with inturned flanges I3, l4, I5 and IS, the flanged edge l6 ofthe door being hinged to a vertical edge of the cabinet opening so as toadapt it to be swung into and out of closed position, it being observedthat when the door is in its closed position the flange l5 at the freeedge thereof projects interiorly of the cabinet beyond the plane of thecabinet flange ll.

As appears most clearly in Figure 4, the vertically extending flange iiiof the door is bent upon itself to provide a section I! paralleling thedoor panel, there being secured to this vertical section 11, as by spotwelding, riveting or the like, a vertically extending member l8 ofZ-shaped cross-section whereby to provide in the free edge of the door avertically extending hollow box section, the outer wall of which is thedoor flange l5 and the inner wall of which is the branch I!) of theZ-shaped member.

Pivotally secured, as at 20, to the branch 29 of the 2 member are aplurality of vertically spaced latch elements 2i, the free ends of whichare each adapted for projection through alined elongated slots 2222respectively provided in the parallel members l5 and IS in the free edgeof the door, it being observed that each set of slots 2222' is soarranged with respect to the corresponding pivoted latch element thatwhen the latter is in horizontally extending position the free edgethereof projects freely. through the slot 22 and beyond the plane of thedoor flange l5, this latter position of the latch element being slightlygreater than the thickness of said flange II.

Slidably secured upon the branch I9 of the Z- shaped member I8 is avertically extending latch operating bar 23, this bar being providedwith a plurality of vertically spaced pins 24 which are respectivelyprojected through elongated slots 25 in the member I9 whereby tomaintain the bar 23- flatwise against the surface of the member I9 and,

at the same time limit its permissible movement vertically with respectto the member I9. In Figures 1 and 2, the member 23 is shown in itsuppermost position, whereas in Figure 3 it is shown in its lowermostposition. The inner edge of the member 23 is provided with a pluralityof vertically spaced notches 26 corresponding in number to the number oflatch elements 2 I, it being observed, as is best shown in Figures 2 and3, that the latch elements 2| are respectively embraced by the notches26 of the operating member 23.

Secured to the operating member 23 is the door handle 21, the latterbeing provided with a pair of vertically spaced lugs 28 whichrespectively project through suitable elongated slots 29 provided in thedoor panel adjacent the free outer edge thereof, the lugs 2828 beingsecured to the member 23 by screws 30 or the like. Suitably secured tothe door I2 adjacent its free outer edge is a lock 3|, preferably of thetype having a sliding bolt 32, thelock being so arranged relatively tothe latch-operating member 23 that when the lock is actuated its bolt 32is projected into close proximity to the member 23, the latter beingprovided with a struck-out portion 33 which the lock bolt 32 is adaptedto engage to prevent the vertical movement of the operating member 23 ineither direction. Thus, when the operating member 23 is in its lowermostposition, as shown in Figure 3, the projection 33 thereof is adaptedtobe engaged by the lock bolt 32 whereby to preclude the unauthorizedreturn of the member 23 into its uppermost position. On the other hand,the lock 3| may be actuated to cause the bolt 32 thereof to engagebeneath the projection 33 of the operating member 23 when the latter isin its uppermost position, thus insuring the retention of the member 23in its uppermost position, as shown in Figure 2.

The operating member 23, of course, commonly actuates all of the latchelements 2 I, it being apparent that when the member 23 is shifteddownwardly by its handle 21 the several latch elements 23 immediatelyassume horizontally extending positions with the free edges thereofprojectingfreely through and beyond the slots 22-22 for engagementbehind the flange I I of the door opening in the cabinet or locker, thelatch elements being locked in their lowered positions upon projectionof the lock bolt 32 into the path of and above the projection 33 of themember 23. In order to release the doorfrom its locked position the lock30 is actuated to withdraw its bolt 32 from the dotted line positionshown in Figure 2, whereupon the member 23 is free to be shiftedupwardly by its handle 21, thereby causing .edge thereof,

the latch elements 2| to be rotated out of their horizontal positionsinto the full-line position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the door beingthen free to be opened.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7 a somewhat modified form of construction is shown.In this modified arrangement, the vertically shiftable operating bar 35forthe latch elements 2 I is enclosed within the hollow box sectionformed in the free edge of the door, the door handle 36 being secured tothe operating member 35 in substantially the same manner as in theformer instance. The lugs 3'|3I of this handle project interiorly of thebox-like section through the elongated slots 38-38 formed in the mainpanel of the door adjacent the free outer suitable apertures 39-39 beingprovided in the intermediate branch 40 of the Z- shaped member to ailordaccess to the screws 4| which secure the handle lugs to the operatingmember 35 ployed in the modified arrangement is substantially similar inall respects to the operating member 23 of Figures 1 to 4, inclusive,the member 35 being also provided with a laterally extending projection42 for engagement with the sliding bolt 43 of the lock 44 and withspaced notches in one longitudinal edge thereof through which theseveral detents 2| are respectively projected. The branch 4|! of theZ-shaped member is, of course, provided with an elongated opening 45through which the projection 42 of the operating member projects, theslot 45 being of such length as not to interfere with the free movementof the operating member in either direction.

It will be apparent that in both of the forms of the invention as abovedescribed, the operating member for commonly actuating the verticallyspaced latching detents may be retained in its raised position by thesliding bolt of the lock. However, if desired, the operating member maybe retained in such raised position automatically and independently ofthe lock bolt by means of a spring-pressed detent 46 which is secured tothe door adjacent the upper extremity of the operating member 23 (seeFigure 1). This detent 46 is provided at one edge thereof with atriangularly-shaped side wall having an inclined edge 41 along which alateral extension 48 of the operating member 23 is adapted to ride. Asthe latter member is raised in position, the upper lateral extension 48thereof rides over and beyond the inclined edge 41 whereupon it isengaged by the upper horizontal edge 49 of the side wall of thespring-pressed detent, the operating member being thus'suspended inraised position by the detent.

Upon closing the door, the spring-pressed detent is actuated by areleasing member 50 fixedly secured to the upper edge of the dooropening whereby to automatically effect the lowering of the operatingmember 23. To this end, the releasing member 50 is provided with anoutwardly projecting finger 5| which is so located relatively to thelatch-operating member that as the door is closed, the finger engagesthe springpressed detent and causes the latter to become disengaged fromthe upper lateral extension 48 of the operating member, whereupon thelatter, by its own weight, is free to shift downwardly intodoor-latching position.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the door locking mechanismof the present invention is principally characterized by the fact thatthe latching elements require no special or auxiliary seats'or detentswith which they are adapt The operating member 35 as em-.

ed to engage to maintain the door in closed position, the latchingelements of the present invention being of such design and so located inthe free edge of the door as to readily engage behind the inwardlyturned flange H of the door opening.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

l. A cabinet lock assembly comprising, in combination, a support ofZ-shaped crosssection, a plurality of vertically spaced latch elementspivotally secured upon one branch of said support, a verticallyshiftable substantially fiat member mounted upon the intermediate branchof said support in such manner that it is disposed in a plane normal tothat of said latch elements, said member being provided with verticallyspaced notches through which said latch elements respectively project, ahandle fixed to and carried by said shiftable member for effecting theoscillation of said latch elements about their respective pivots in onedirection or the other, a spring pressed detent carried by saidfirst-mentioned branch of said support at a point adjacent the upperextremity thereof, and means formed as an integral part of saidshiftable member for engaging said spring pressed detent to normallymaintain the said shiftable member in raised position.

2. A cabinet lock assembly comprising, in combination, a support ofangular cross-section, a plurality of vertically spaced latch elementspivotally secured to one branch of said angular support, the otherbranch of said support being provided with relatively spaced slotsthrough which the free ends of said latch elements may project, avertically shiftable substantially flat member mounted upon said secondbranch of said angular support, said shiftable member being disposed ina plane normal to that of said latch elements and being adapted toengage the same to shift them into either latching or unlatchingposition, a sliding-bolt lock fixed in position relatively to saidangular support, and means fixed to and carried by said shiftable memberfor direct engagement by the bolt of said lock for locking the saidmember in either raised or lowered position.

SAMUEL J. HENDERSON.

